The Folly of it All

Here I sit, sleep eludes me, pondering a hobby that is both costly and time consuming....... WHY? Folk no longer ask to view films, yet here I am buying stuff, much in languages I can't understand, for what? I'm of the belief, it can easilybecome a fixation, a sad duty to immerse oneself totally in something that is really wasteful. I don't want to launch intothe magic of film, but look at us, grown men, adults, behaving like children with bubble gum cards! I am 100% guilty of allcharges, it is a purely selfish hobby. and costly. Especially when better alternatives are there.

I must agree to all the points made but isn't it true of most hobbies? My films are enjoyed solely by me as though my wife supports my hobby, she doesn't have any interest in the films themselves. My main hobby (besides film collecting) is building scale model aircraft. I've seen fellows get into some crazy flame wars on forums over petty details of the latest release. My favorite story (which I witnessed) was when an old school hobby dealer (retired by then) shut down a particularly bad argument between several members by stating that once all the smoke clears,we were all just grown men playing with toy airplanes. It was amazing how quiet things got at that point! My own take is that as long as our hobbies bring us joy, no harm done. Keeping it in perspective (not using next month's rent for a purchase for example) is the key to happiness,but within the hobby itself (and domestically!)

Hugh and Douglas I agree with all of your points.It is after all only a HOBBY. A mere pastime that should bring some amount of pleasure to the individualand with any luck you can share it with others. A temporal and transient escape fromeveryday realities and pressures. That applies to all hobbies.However for some sad folk it can become a way of life and obsession.Such people seem to forget that the very films they are collecting are in themselvesmere productions made in order to entertain or inform. Also most were made in order to make a monetary profit in the millions.It can be argued that some productions can be regarded as " works of art" butthat's another story.The bottom line is all films are whatever they may be are an illusion as are the waythey are filmed and projected. Folks who take it beyond this fact are for me totally ... DELUDED and LOST !!!

I agree with most points, at the end of the day it IS as said a hobby and ALL hobbies can be expensive. If you are a member of a golf club how much does that cost each year for fee's/clubs etc. Round us there is a shooting fraternity in which some of them pay £5/6/7/800 a year just so they can go stalking Deer in Scotland, some of them 3/4 times a year, on top of that there is the £5/6/7/800 pound guns and the ammunition involved plus paying for a licence each year. I know a few of these and the amount of money they spend each year is ridiculous.

With us we do spend a fair whack on films but as I always say to the good lady "At least I have something to show for my money" there is a good chance it won't devalue so in some respect it is a good investment. Can you imagine if you had bought every single Derann feature in the 80's/90's and what they would be worth now, you see guys it ain't all bad

I don't think Digital is magicless Vidar, I do think it has a place, it does in our house on a Saturday night, we always watch a Blu Ray on the big screen followed by a live music concert, fantastic quality and we are detached so we can crank up the sound, it is amazing, we love it. That said The rest of the week belongs to Super 8, I'm like a kid in a sweet shop when it comes to Super 8

It is to me. I do not get any good feeling watching digital. No magic at all. Still see the stutter (jerky motion) even if you do not. It's noen t for me if I want the good feeling I had at the cinema back in the days cinema was magic

Del i can second you there regarding Digital.It does indeed have its place and a certain magic of its own.Besides everything else it is bloody cheap to keep going when compared with film collecting.However FILM for me will always be primary despite its costs and intrinsic flaws.

I agree David, plus there are things on Digital that you just cannot get on Film including modern concerts. A couple of weeks ago we watched the Eagles live blu ray from 2015 on their farewell tour it was amazing and lasted virtually 3 hours long, it cost me £15.00. We have around 25 live concerts on blu ray, including the likes of Hall & Oats/Shania Twain/Peter Cetera/George Michael/Mike & The Mechanics to name a few and to watch these on tv has no effect whatsoever compared to watching them on a 10' screen with True HD sound. My wife loves Shrek and watching this on Blu Ray is again amazing, but I reiterate it is always each to their own.

I have to agree with all replies it is to each his own.I have enough equipment to show pretty much anything,much as I like my films I

still have e a number of video players as I used to video the family especially the kids and there is just too much to convert to digital.As Del says there is just some things that don't turn up on film and even price makes it prohibitive.I was reading else where that the question asked was owning DVD versus streaming,and the majority were in favour of owning the DVD as they wanted to physically have the DVD in their hands it was the owning of it,having it,outwayed the streaming.So we are not alone in wanting the real thing all be it not quite the same as film.📽📽

Folly or not, I am so looking forward to pick up my new Elmo GS 1200 at the post office tonight! Some might think I am crazy that use this kind of money on old equipment. But I don't care. This is my hobby, and I enjoy every minute of use. I could have traveled to Asia, bought a new car, get a larger apartment or what not. We all pay for what we think has the most value to us. I chose my GS 1200 this year :-)

Just a shame I forgot to bring back a take-up reel when I was at the cabin last weekend. But I will get a new 1200' in a few days.

Hugh & all, i do agree, i look out of my window and see families going for walks in the sunshine to the park, riding there bikes, off for an evening drink at a pub by the sea, yet here i am like you, spending ridiculous amounts of money on trailers and shorts and sitting in the darkest coldest part of the house watching the films. The worst of it is i know whats going to happen. I do question myself sometimes. I am looking to treat myself up to a decent later Derann feature, waiting for one to come up, (i turned one down last year like the twat i am), The cost of it all, & the cost of keeping the projectors themselves up and running is something i thought about today.I'm NOT getting all down and regretting it all, my films have given me many many years of pleasure and will continue to do so, but a reality check is definatly on the cards at the moment. I am lucky enough to have another family member collector and a wife who does like to watch the films with me but recently i bought two trailers off Barry and at £40 you do have to think Why?

Nice post Tom, I think you echo what we a lot of us feel. We love the hobby and all that sails in her but sometimes you have to give yourself a reality check as to what the hell are we doing spending that amount of money of a film, still, the enjoyment we all get when we get that elusive film like Andrew has just got with Aladdin and watch it for the first time and we go WOW, now you just can't buy that at any price

It really seldom ever enters my mind what they cost and how much I spend on these on things. I don't say that flippantly,it's just that if you've ever done a daft habit like smoking for 30 years or whatever, compared to that, this is no waste of money in my opinion.

Obviously, like anyone else, I have my limits on what I would or could bring myself to ever part with for one solitary film, but now I've managed to quit the habit my wife simply cannot, she can have no qualms with me about how I channel my own "smoking money" of one time or another.

Well that's my reasoning anyhow,and I'm sticking to it! Ha ha ha.

As expensive as all this can be, aside from buying a decent Holiday home in Tenerife which I'd one day spend my retirement in, I cannot think of any other way I could spend the money and gain so much enjoyment, personally speaking.

Nice one Andrew, as mentioned previously I like to think and justify my purchases as somewhat of an investment, I get all the pleasure of watching my films year after year (hopefully) and fingers crossed like bricks and mortar they will increase in value or at least hold their value, which unlike a lot of hobbies you don't always have something to show for your hard earned.

Not to be awkward, but I don't view my films as an investment, only a bit of entertainment, hence my first comments, but theyhave been useful in time of need to pay for more important things, and not at exorbitant prices, that aside, they are films, not an investment to me, much likeyour home, the money lenders & Governments harp on at house values, its value is in keeping you safe & warm, it wasn't built with investment in mind, its a dwelling, end of story, yourfilms are there for enjoyment in the same vein.

That was meant to "top" but somehow hit the wrong button. I agree with Hugh here in so much as there are no guarantees our films value will continue to rise..It very much depends on how many remain interested in the hobby and of course, how long we choose to hang onto them.

Its a fact though Andrew, as I'm sure you'll agree, you and I are poles apart on taste in our films, I've paid crazy money fora film I really want, as no doubt you yourself have, and many of our collector friends are as guilty as we, not that accusations arebeing flung, far from it, I'd be the first one to be burned at the stake, but truth be told, we do indulge ourselves in this hobby, which ifkept in check, fine, but I often wonder at the withdrawn bids on ebay etc, no doubt to some folk it has gotten out of hand. I regret a lotof film sales in the past, but the situations demanded it.It's a question of balance I suppose, but when you think of the expense, we could have had another house built!